VIDEO: Kirk Ferentz takes a polar plunge

People, by and large, are a strange species. We do odd things that generally don't make sense pretty often. At some point, after the Wright brothers invented the airplane, somebody was flying in a plane and said to themselves "I want to jump out of this thing." It's not a natural reaction, but it's one many have had over the years.

The same goes for bungee jumping, walking on hot coals, diving with sharks or even climbing Mt. Everest. These are all things that you probably shouldn't do, and all could lead to disasterous results, but people do it anyway. Whether for the sense of accomplishment, or just the adrenaline rush.

I understand that. I get that. What I have never understood, however, is that whole Polar Bear Club deal. I just don't see the point in it, though apparently that's not the case for Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz.

Now, I ask you, what does this accomplish? I know Ferentz did this to help the Iowa Wrestling Club, so I'll give him a pass. He did it for charity, to help others, and there's nobility in that. But why would anybody else do it?

I have a friend who did this once in Lake Michigan in the dead of winter. When he told me about it and I asked him why, his answer was "I don't know." This is not an acceptable answer. He didn't know why he was doing it, yet he did it anyway. When he finished, I asked him if it was worth it.

"No, not really."

So while I give Ferentz a pass for it as he was doing it to help others, I implore the rest of you who have considered doing it just for the sake of doing it not to. Go jump out of a plane or something.

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